Month: April 2020

“Stay At Home” Order

You know how it is when someone dies? How all of your scheduled “busy” rushes before your eyes until you check yourself? Someone just died! Your “busy” is not important right now. NOT IMPORTANT AT ALL! And in that moment, you stop! Stunned by the realization that nothing really matters more, at this moment, than this loss.

Dealing With The Loss Of “Normal”

And you cry, first for the person but then for yourself. Your loss! Nothing will be the same again.

And you go through the days filling in the empty with arrangements. Who will take care of that person’s “busy”? Who will want to know and cry along with you? They will want to grieve their loss too. You keep yourself wrapped up in this world of grief and loss and sadness and anger and denial and blame for as long as it takes: an isolation imposed on you until everything is made right or as close to right as can happen.

Acceptance

But then something else happens. The sun comes up. You look at it, surprised! Doesn’t the sun know that nothing is supposed to be the same anymore? But there it is, shining; filling the day with brightness. You can’t help but smile! That sun seems to be smiling at you too, reminding you that things do go on.

And then you hear the birds, They’re singing! “Now is not the time!” you start to say but then you stop yourself. Why not sing now? Why not let yourself feel joy? Why shouldn’t you take in this moment?

After all, this moment, that sunshine, those birds are there as a gift for you.

This moment, that sunshine, those birds.

Oh I know. They weren’t in you schedule; your list of “busy”. But they’re there now.

Make a New Normal

Maybe they always were. You just didn’t take the time to notice. Now that you notice though perhaps they should be put into your schedule. You’ve been given a chance to redefine your list of “busy”.